Safety is something not to be taken lightly as far as cars are concerned. Euro NCAP, the independent organization that was established by seven European governments and has been conducting crash-tests since 1997, has been a key player in improving the level of passive and active safety offered by today’s new cars.

In 2012, it tested 36 new vehicles that became available in European markets. Most of them performed well enough to earn a five-star rating, though some did better than others in the four individual categories, namely adult occupant protection, child occupant protection, pedestrian protection and safety assist systems, and earned the “Best in Class” title for their respective segments (two of them tied in the Mini MPV class).

In its effort to further increase the level of safety, Euro NCAP includes the Autonomous Emergency Braking (AEB) system in its ratings from last June in order to motivate manufacturers to fit it into their new cars, and from this year has added the Intelligent Speed Assistance (ISA) system, too.

Scroll down to view the winners and their scores in detail.

By Andrew Tsaousis

RESULTS
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